ECF Registration - Pro Se Only
 Last updated: 08/12/09

Attorneys please go HERE.

If you are representing yourself in a legal matter you are proceeding pro se ("on one's own behalf").  As of 04/08/2003, pro se parties may be allowed to e-file in their e-filing case, but they must first obtain approval of the judge assigned to their case.

 

Parties proceeding Pro Se must follow all procedures and policies of the court, but may not use the online registration.  Instead they must use the registration form found below.

 

~ Again ~
Do not use the attorney ECF registration process,
use the process on this page.

 

Here are the steps required for a pro se party to e-file:

  1. The pro se party must be able to meet all the technical requirements.

  2. The pro se party must abide by all e-filing and other rules and orders of the court.

  3. The pro se party must submit a motion to the court to be allowed to e-file on their case.

  4. ONLY AFTER the judge grants the motion AND that order appears on the docket may the pro se party submit the registration form located below (do not use the attorney ECF registration process).  Please follow all the instructions on the form carefully.

  5. The pro se party must also register for a PACER account in order to view the docket and retrieve available documents (the ECF login will only allow you to submit documents).  You must have both an ECF and a PACER account in order to fully utilize the ECF system.

 

What happens next:
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As it states clearly on the registration form, the court must receive both the ink-signed hard-copy and an emailed "soft-copy" of the form.  When the registration form is received via email AND delivery (both), the ECF Helpdesk will validate the following:
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All mandatory fields on the form must be complete.

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The pro se party must be listed in ECF on the case mentioned on the form.

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The order granting the motion for the pro se party to e-file must already appear on the docket.

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The ECF Helpdesk will then process the registration and the pro se party will receive their e-filing password via email about 3 days after the signed registration form has been received at the court.

FAQs Regarding Pro Se E-Filing Registrations:
 
  1. Why do I have to file a motion with the court to e-file?
  2. This district requires all pro se parties to seek approval from the court to e-file for each case they are on.
     
  3. Do I have to wait for the Judge to grant my motion to e-file before submitting my registration form?
  4. YES, you must wait for the judge to approve you for e-filing before sending in your registration form.  The e-filing registration form includes a mandatory section for the date the judge approves your motion to e-file.  The ECF Helpdesk must confirm this date in order to complete the registration.
     
  5. How do I file a motion to e-file?
  6. A "motion to e-file" is just a standard court motion like any other pleading and must be filed in paper.  There is no court approved form and there is no specific language.
     
  1. What should the motion say?
  2. There is no specific language for this motion.  You are simply requesting the judge to grant permission for you to e-file on your case.  You may phrase this any way you wish.
     
  1. Can I e-file the motion to request to e-file?
  2. If you do not have an ECF login already, this would be impossible.  Even if you already have an ECF login from a previous case, you must still file the motion on paper.
     
  1. Do I have to re-register if I am on a new case?
  2. No, but you must still motion the court to grant you permission to e-file on each new case.  Until your motion is granted, you are not permitted to e-file.
     
  3. As a pro se party, am I required to e-file?
  4. No.  E-filing is optional for pro se parties.  It is offered as a convenience by the court.  E-filing makes the act of filing with the court and retrieving information from the court much easier, provided you can meet the technical requirements.

The answers to many other questions, such as what you need to e-file, can be found on our main FAQ site HERE.

ECF Registration Forms
Attorneys please go HERE.

AVOID PROBLEMS AND DELAYS - READ ALL!!

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YOU MUST FOLLOW ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE FORM.

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THE FORM MUST BE 100% COMPLETE -
Do NOT leave any mandatory fields blank.

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YOU MUST EMAIL THE COMPLETED FORM AND DELIVER THE SIGNED COPY TO THE COURT AS WELL.
YOU MUST DO BOTH!

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DO NOT FILL OUT THE FORM BY HAND.

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DO NOT USE ALL CAPS ON THE FORM
(use standard capitalization)

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DO NOT SEND ANY OTHER ITEMS (we do not need duplicates/copies, cover letters or return envelopes).

These files need to be saved to your computer, then filled out AND SAVED AGAIN in the word-processing program of your choice.  You will be delivering the signed form AND emailing the completed form (unsigned) as a .doc, .wpd or .txt attachment.

You MUST right-click on one of the file names below and select:

>  Save target as... (in Internet Explorer)
        or
>  Save link as... (in Netscape Navigator)

to save it locally to you computer.

ECF-REG-ProSe.doc (46KB) for Microsoft Word

ECF-REG-ProSe.wpd (38KB) for WordPerfect

ECF-REG-ProSe.txt (3KB) for plain text
-You can also copy and paste this text file into an email, fill it out and send it to ecfreg@cand.uscourts.gov

We can accept any of these formats, but
do not email as TIFF, JPEG, PDF, scanned, etc.

To return to the ECF home page, click HERE.